Chinchilla does not know how to use water bottle?

[Titangilas]

Hello!

We've had our chinchilla for a little over a week now, and after a few days of settling in he's been enjoying his new home. However, I have noticed a very strange behavior of his that kind of has me worried.

When we first got him, he straight up refused to drink any water at all. He still ate dry food and a bit of hay, but no water. We thought something might be wrong with the bottle, so we got him a second water bottle, but he wouldn't use it either.

Eventually, he figured out how to use the exercise wheel in his cage, and when he did he started showing this really odd behavior. He would run really fast for a few seconds on the wheel, stop, and then start again. I figured out that this was causing his cage to vibrate, and made the water bottles shake and release a spray of water. After a few runs on the wheel like this, he would drink the water off of the ground.

Both of the bottles do work, and he has at least attempted to drink from one one time, but after that this is the only way he drinks. Is there anything wrong with this, and can he be taught how to use a bottle?

 

[Godofgods]

What kind of water bottle is it? Some chins dont rly take to the new nozzels that require them to move the little stick to the side; as opposed to the traditional ball tip. - You could try taking a raisin or something and wiping the tip of it with that. Something to get him messing around with the water bottle. (Dont use the rest as a treat or anything)